IDA Ireland increases land acquisition spending for FDI sites

IDA Ireland more than doubled expenditure on land acquisitions for future foreign direct investment projects in 2025, spending €32.87m on strategic sites across Ireland. For procurement and infrastructure stakeholders, the increase reflects intensified investment in site readiness and long-term capacity planning to support industrial development and inward investment.

RTÉ reported that the agency’s land spending increased by 135% year-on-year from €13.95m in 2024, while total expenditure was also 149% higher than 2023 levels. The purchases, disclosed through a Freedom of Information request, involved nine acquisitions for “Strategic FDI Development,” compared with five transactions in 2024.

The largest acquisition by land area took place in County Meath, where IDA Ireland purchased 48 hectares, while additional sites were secured across County Offaly, County Kildare, County Laois, Dublin, County Westmeath and County Cork. Most acquisitions occurred in Leinster, with two smaller purchases in Cork.

An IDA spokesperson said the increased spending reflected strong inward investment levels and demand for viable operational sites from multinational businesses. The agency said maintaining an appropriate pipeline of property solutions remains essential to supporting both new investments and expansion projects among existing clients.

The organisation also confirmed that planning applications are submitted where appropriate to ensure sites remain investment ready. According to the agency, enabling infrastructure and business expansion planning are intended to improve responsiveness to investor requirements and reduce delivery timelines for future projects.

The agency declined to disclose individual land purchase prices, citing ongoing negotiations and concerns that disclosure could weaken its commercial position in future acquisitions.

Discover the full details on IDA Ireland’s land acquisition strategy.